Apparatus for dressing animal hides



April 16, 1940.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 28, 1958 :wwwhom April 16, 1940- RS.ALMENDINGER 7 APFARATUS FOR DRESSING ANIMAL IDES Filed Sept. 28, 1938 2Sheets-Sheet 2 w I I Patented Apr. 16, 1940 .1

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE This invention relates to apparatus for,dressing animal hides and is particularly directed to a machine suitablefor use in dressing hides of large size. The primary object resides inthe provision of a machine of the type mentioned having a frame in whicha large hide can be stretched and supported and to provide aframesupported cutting mechanism which will be movable relative to thehide in order that fur, hair or flesh can be quickly and easily removedtherefrom. i

It is also an object of the invention to provide a machine of thetypementioned with novel means for clamping and stretching 2. hidetherein;

A further object is the provision of a frame having a guide on which ismounted a carrier supporting a tool used in operating upon the hide.

It is also an object of the invention to provide the support for thecutting device with means to automatically secure it in positions ofadjustment relative to the hide.

A still further object is directed to the provision of a tool supportwhich is movable in a direction parallel to the surface of. the hide aswell as in a direction at right angles thereto, means also beingprovidedto adjust the position of the cutting tool when the support ismoved away from the hide. a i

Additional objects will be apparent from the following description ofthe preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the'accompaying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a hide dressing machine formed inaccordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the machine shown in Fig. 1;

-" Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the planeindicated by the line III--III of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a detail horizontal sectional view taken on the planeindicated by the line of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a detail vertical sectional view'taken on the plane indicatedby the line V-V of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a similar view taken on the plane indicated by the line VI-'VIof Fig. .4;

Fig. '7 is a detail horizontal sectional view taken on the planeindicated by the line VII-VII of Fig. 3.

} tudinally extending rail 6 connected thereto adper ends of the postson this side of the frame, the hook It will engage a lug H to hold theof vertical corner posts 2 which are formed at their lower ends withflange members 3 by means of which the frame may be secured to thebuilding floor. The upper ends of the corner posts are connected bymeans of longitudinally and '5 transversely extending rails 4 and 5respectively, the corner posts and the rails being formed of tubing andwelded or otherwise secured together. A pair of the corner posts alsohave a longijacent thelower ends. This rail and the posts to which it isconnected are provided with spaced eyelets 7. The corner of the frame atthe upper end of one of these posts has a pair of spaced ears8 securedthereto between which is pivoted a clamp bar 9 which has its oppositeend formed to include a hook Hi. When the bar is swung to a positionsubstantially in engagement with the longitudinal bar extending betweenthe upbar in this position. When the bar is moved 'to this position withone edge of a hide placed between it and the longitudinal bar of theframe. the hide will be securely held therein. .The eyelets 7 havelacing ropes l2 movably positioned therein and between adjacenteyelets.

th rope is provided with hook members 13 for engagement with the freeedges of the hide. When the hooks are in engagement with the hide andthe rope drawn tight, the hide will be stretched vertically between thepair of corner posts and the horizontal bars 6 and 9 in a tau condition.

One of the horizontal members 4a of the frame extends between thetransverse rails at a point intermediate their ends and constitutesa'guide for the reception of a carrier mechanism M including a pair ofspaced sleeves l5 slidably received by the bar 4a. The sleeves areformed with laterally directed branches which bend toward one anotherand are secured together to form a laterally offset portion l6.Depending from the'portion I6 is a pair of Vertical rods 11, the lowerends of which are connected by a short barlB which serves to maintainthe-bars in parallel order. By reason of the sleeves being looselypositioned on the bar 401., the. carrierfwill be free to movelongitudinally thereof in a plane parallel to the surface of the hidestretched in the frame. The carrier may also move in a direction atright angles to the hide due to the pivotal action around the axisprovided'by the bar 4a.

The machine also includes a tool supporting unit which is composed oftwo main parts. The first part is a bracket section which is slidablypositioned on the vertical bars 1'! and includes a pair of sleeves l9and Ma connected by a web 20. The sleeve i9 is made in two sections anda plate 21 is positioned therebetween. This plate is formed with anopening to surround one of the rods H, the opening being slightlygreater than the outside diameter of the rod to permit the plate to tiltto a slight degree. At the rear portion of thesleeve, the upper sectionis provided with a lug to be engaged by the plate 2|. A compression typespring 22 is placed between the plate and the lower section of thesleeve and serves to resiliently hold the plate in its tilted position.When the plate is in this position, the bracket section will beprevented from moving downward on the bars I! in response to gravityaction. The bracket may be moved upwardh by applying an upward force butwhen it is desired to move it down, pressure must be applied to theouterend of the plate iii to release it from looking engagement.

The central portion of the web 20 is provided with an enlargement havinga vertical socket in which is positioned a pivot pin 23 which is free torotate in the socket. To secure the pin in its various positions, theenlargement on the web is provided with a set screw 24.

The tool supporting unit also includes a tool carrying section 25 formedwith a body having converging corner angles connected by means oftransverse cross 2'1. One end of the body alsoincludes a pair ofvertically spaced cars 28 perforated to receive the ends of the pivotpin 23 rigidly secured thereto by means of pins 2%. This arrangementpermits the body to be moved a horizontal plane around the axis of thepin 23. The purpose of this movement will be hereinafter set forth.

At the opposite end, the body is provided with a pair of bearings 35! toreceive the ends of a horizontally disposed axle 3! which rotatablysupports a disk knife 32 to which is secured as at 33 a sheave wheel 3dwhich has an endless V-type belt35 in engagement therewith. The beltalso engages a pulley 35 carried by the armature shaft of an electricmotor 38. The motor is bolted to a shelf formed in connection with thebody adjacent the end attached to the carrier. When the motor rotates,similar motion will be imparted by means of the belt to the disk knifewhich is made concave to provide a curved cutting edge for en gagementwith the hide to be dressed. When the body is moved on the pivot .23,the cutting edge of the knife will be positioned; in angular relation tothe surface of the hide. To prevent the knife from making cuts on thehide too deep, 2. pair of guard members 39 are adjustably secured to theframe at the sides of the knife. The outer edges of the guard membersengage the hide at the sides of the knife and limit the engagementthereof with the hide.

The operation of the device is as follows:

After a hide has been placed in the frame and rigidly secured in a tautcondition, the tool support is raised to its highest point on thecarrier. The carrier is then moved toward the hide to position the knifein engagement therewith, after which it is moved longitudinally on itsguide. This operation will clean or shave a narrow strip of the hide.Upon the completion of this strip, the carrier will be loweredapproximately the width of the strip cut and operation repeated untilthe whole hide is dressed.

It will be seen from the foregoing that a machine has been providedwhich will enable one or two operators to quickly and easily dress alarge hide. The hide would not necessarily have to be maintained in avertical position but could as readily be held in a horizontal position.The rest of the machine would, in that event, be altered in a similarmanner.

While I have shown and described the invention in its preferred form,many changes such as that suggested above may be made without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A hide dressing machine comprising a frame, means providing inconnection with said frame for stretching a hide to a taut condition andimmovably holding it in a vertical position, a carrier mounted forsliding movement on said frame in a plane parallel to the surface ofsaid hide, said carrier also being free to swing in a plane at rightangles to the surface of said hide, a tool support mounted on saidcarrier for movement therewith, said support being adjustable verticallywith respect to said carrier, and a motor driven disk knife positionedon said support, the swinging movement of said carrier serving to movesaid knife into and out of engagement with said hide.

2. A hide dressing machine comprising a frame, means provided inconnection with said frame for stretching and immovably holding a hidein a taut condition, a carrier mounted for movement on said frame in aplane parallel to the surface of said hide, said carrier also beingmovable in a plane at an angle to the surface of said hide, a toolsupport mounted on said carrier for movement therewith, said supportbeing movable relative to said carrier in a plane parallel to thesurface of said hide, and a motor driven disk kniie positioned on saidsupport for engagement with said hide.

3. A hide dressing machine comprising a frame,

means provided in connection with said frame for stretching andimmovably holding a hide in a taut condition, guide means extendingparallel to the surface of said hide, a carrier movable longitudinallyof said guide means, a tool support positioned on said carrier formovement therewith, said support being movable relative to said carrierin a plane parallel to the surface of said hide, and a motor driven diskknife carried by said support, said knife being movable into and out ofengagement with said hide. I

l. A hide dressing machine comprising a framework having verticallyextending corner posts connected at their upper ends by longitudinallyand transversely extending horizontal rails, means for stretching a hidein a vertical plane between a pair of corner posts, a guide barextending parallel to the plane of said hide, a carrier mounted forlongitudinal movement on said guide bar, said carrier being free toswingon said guide bar in planes at right angles to the plane of said hide, atool support positioned on said carrier for movement therewith, and amotor driven disk knife carried by said tool support.

5. A hide dressing machine comprising a framework including verticallydisposed corner posts and elevated longitudinally and transverselyextending horizontal rails, means provided in connection with a pair ofcorner posts and one elevated horizontal rail for stretching a hide in avertical plane, a carrier mounted for sliding movement on one of saidlongitudinal rails, said carrier being, free to swing around the centerproconnection with a pair of vertical posts for engaging the other edgesof said hide to stretch and support it in a vertical plane, a carrierslidably mounted on one of said longitudinal rails, said carrier beingfree to swing toward and away from said hide, a tool support mounted forvertical adjustment on said carrier, means disposed between said toolsupport and carrier for securing the former in its positions of verticaladjustment, a disk knife rotatably carried by said tool support, a motormounted on said support, and motion transmitting means connecting saidmotor and said knife.

7. A hide dressing machine comprising a framework including verticallyextending corner posts and longitudinally and transversely extendinghorizontally disposed elevated rails, means for clamping one edge of ahide to one ofsaid longitudinally extending rails, means provided inconnection with a pair of vertical posts for engaging the other edges ofsaid hide to stretch and support it in a vertical plane, a carrierslidably mounted on one of said longitudinal rails, said carrier beingfree to swing toward and away from said hide, a bracket member mountedfor vertical adjustment on said carrier, means disposed between saidbracket member and carrier for securing the former in positions ofvertical adjustment, a tool support mounted on said bracket member forswinging adjustment in a horizontal plane, a disk knife rotatablycarried by said tool support, a motor mounted on said support, andmotion transmitting means connecting said motor and said knife. a

8. A hide'dressing machine comprising a frame, means provided on saidframe for stretching and immovably supporting a hide in a tautcondition, uide means extending parallel to the surface of said hide, acarrier movable longitudinally of said guide means, a tool supportpositioned on said move said disk knife longitudinally of its axis ofrotation.

9. A hide dressing machine comprising a frame,

means provided on said frame for stretching and immovably supporting ahide in a taut condition, guide means xtending parallel to the surfaceof said hide, a carrier movable longitudinally of said uide means, atool support positioned on said carrier for movement therewith, saidsupport being movable relative to said carrier in a plane parallel tothe surface of said hide, and a motor driven disk knife carried by saidtool support for rotation in a plane disposed in angular relationship tothe surface of the hide, movement of said carrier on said guide meansserving to move said disk knife substantially longitudinally of its axisof rotation.

10. A hide dressing machine comprising a frame having a plurality ofspaced bars, means carried by said bars for immovably supporting a hidein a taut condition therebetween, said hide being unsupported at eithersurface, guide means formed with said frame, a carrier member supportedby said guide means for adjustment in a plane parallel to a surface ofthe hide, said carrier being also movable toward and away from saidhide, a tool support mounted on said carrier for movement relativethereto in a plane extending parallel to the surface of said hide, and adisk knife journaled for rotation about an axis disposed insubstantially parallel relationship to the uide means for said carrier,movement of said carrier on said guide means serving to move said kniferelative to said hide.

11. A hide dressing machine comprising a frame having spacedhorizontally and vertically extending bars, means provided on certain ofsaid bars for immovably supporting a hide therebetween in a tautcondition, said hide being unsupported at either surface, a carrierslidably supported for longitudinal movement on a bar extending parallelto one surface of the hide, said carrier being rotatable about thelongitudinal axis of'said bar, a tool support mounted on said carrierfor adjustment in a plane extending parallel to said hide, a disk knife,journaled on said tool support for rotation about an axis disposedsubstantially parallel to the bar in which said carrier is supported,amotor mounted on said tool support, and motion transmitting meansconnecting said motor and said knife.

12. A hide dressing machine comprising a pair of parallel horizontallydisposed bars, parallel vertically extending bars maintaining saidhorizontal bars in an elevated position, a third horizontal barvextending between the lower portions of a pair of said vertical bars,hide stretching and supporting means carried by said third horizontalbar, the vertical bars connected therewith and one elevated horizontalbar, a carrier member suspended from the other elevated bar, said memberbeing movable longitudinally of said bar and around its longitudinalaxis, a tool support mounted on said carrier member for movementtherewith, said tool support being movable toward and away from theelevated bar supporting said carrier member, and a motor driven diskknife journaled for rotation on said tool support about an axis disposedin parallel relationship to the horizontal bars.

PAUL s. ,AIMENDINGER.

